Police: Suburban drug bust yields five arrests, 600 pounds of pot

Five west suburban residents have been charged with operating a marijuana trafficking ring after being caught transporting almost 600 pounds of the drug, police said.

The arrests on Tuesday came after a three-month investigation into the ring, which was based in Kane and McHenry counties and allegedly transported large quantities of marijuana from Arizona for sale in Illinois.

According to the North Central Narcotics Task Force, agents determined that a shipment of marijuana would be coming into the area and police were able to coordinate traffic stops of four separate vehicles Tuesday night, including one in Sugar Grove and three others in Aurora.

After police dogs alerted authorities to the presence of drugs, 598 pounds of marijuana were found in one of the cars stopped in Aurora and in the car that was stopped in Sugar Grove, police said.

Four of the suspects were charged with cannabis trafficking and other drugs charges. They are: Richard G. Ecklund, 48, of the 2700 block of Sperry Court, Batavia; Dean A. Dziuba, 55, 1100 block of Lodgepole Court, Darien; and Crystal L. Westerlin, 29, and Matthew A. Westerlin, 28, both of the 300 block of Nebraska Street, Elburn, police said.

Mary L. Nunez, 57, also of the Sperry Court address, was charged with one count of cannabis trafficking, police said.

Ecklund was being held in the Kane County jail in lieu of $35 million bail. The other four had their bail set at $27 million, according to the NCNTF.

Agents say they seized three firearms during a subsequent search of one of the residences and charges related to that seizure are pending.